Racing Brake ET800 pad reivew
02-12-2010, 10:26 AM
#27
TopGear, nice job on the BBK - I almost bought Polak's setup.
I should qualify my "triple-use" reccomendation yet again - I have not tracked these pads. There are people on and off this board who know far more than I about dedicated track pad setups for the RX-8 (and Brian Goodwin is one of them - I've worked with Brian for years and trust his opinion). So, if you think you are at the point that you want a dedicated set of track pads, there are lots of choices & data out there. I bought the ET800s because of the promise that they would work on the street & autocross, but still hold up to the rigours of a moderately aggresive track day on a normally aspirated RX-8 on street tires, if not more. And I'm sure they will. It's just a question of how often you track and how fast you run.
I should qualify my "triple-use" reccomendation yet again - I have not tracked these pads. There are people on and off this board who know far more than I about dedicated track pad setups for the RX-8 (and Brian Goodwin is one of them - I've worked with Brian for years and trust his opinion). So, if you think you are at the point that you want a dedicated set of track pads, there are lots of choices & data out there. I bought the ET800s because of the promise that they would work on the street & autocross, but still hold up to the rigours of a moderately aggresive track day on a normally aspirated RX-8 on street tires, if not more. And I'm sure they will. It's just a question of how often you track and how fast you run.
03-06-2011, 10:44 PM
#30
Well, one year later, I have a follow up Mark. 
After two seasons of use, the ET800s were getting thin. Needed new pads, and decided to try ET500s. I don’t think I’ll be doing track days this year, so decided to save a bit of $$$ and try the 500s.
On the street, the 500s have more initial bite at low temps. It’s been in the mid-to-upper 30s here recently, and I’ve found that I had to recalibrate my pedal pressure in the morning – I was used to applying more pressure than is needed for the 500s when cold. Not that the 800s needed excessive pressure, but the 500s clearly have a higher coefficient of friction when cold, which makes them more consistent on the street, which is a good thing.
That also hold true when autocrossing – it’s nice to have the more consistent response regardless of where you are in the run. We had an event this weekend, again in the high 30s, and it was nice having excellent response on the first braking point of the first run. As on the street, I had to recalibrate my foot, but once I did the pads were great.
So, I highly recommend the ET500s to a street/autocross driver, or canyon carver. Great pads.
Mark, you were right on this one.
After two seasons of use, the ET800s were getting thin. Needed new pads, and decided to try ET500s. I don’t think I’ll be doing track days this year, so decided to save a bit of $$$ and try the 500s.
On the street, the 500s have more initial bite at low temps. It’s been in the mid-to-upper 30s here recently, and I’ve found that I had to recalibrate my pedal pressure in the morning – I was used to applying more pressure than is needed for the 500s when cold. Not that the 800s needed excessive pressure, but the 500s clearly have a higher coefficient of friction when cold, which makes them more consistent on the street, which is a good thing.
That also hold true when autocrossing – it’s nice to have the more consistent response regardless of where you are in the run. We had an event this weekend, again in the high 30s, and it was nice having excellent response on the first braking point of the first run. As on the street, I had to recalibrate my foot, but once I did the pads were great.
So, I highly recommend the ET500s to a street/autocross driver, or canyon carver. Great pads.
Mark, you were right on this one.
03-07-2011, 02:07 PM
#31
Rotary Addict
Don't expect the ET800s to survive at the track. I can't comment on how long they will last for autocrossing but I have used the ET800s front and rear paired with the RB one-piece slotted rotors and they only made it one full day at Summit Point WV. Look at my post below.
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...6&postcount=97
Pages 4 and 5 of that thread contain some great information about Racing Brake's high end pads. They are not able to withstand the high heats from track days. My wheels were completely black at the end of the day and I was down to the backing plate.
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...6&postcount=97
Pages 4 and 5 of that thread contain some great information about Racing Brake's high end pads. They are not able to withstand the high heats from track days. My wheels were completely black at the end of the day and I was down to the backing plate.
03-07-2011, 03:40 PM
#32
Those were on ET900s, correct? So we don't know for sure how the 800s will survive, but I agree your experience is surprising.
Did you ever check your pins to see if they were greased? Did RB ever comment on the wear?
Did you ever check your pins to see if they were greased? Did RB ever comment on the wear?
Last edited by GeorgeH; 03-07-2011 at 03:49 PM.
03-08-2011, 10:00 AM
#33
Rotary Addict
Those pictures were of the ET800s. I tried the ET900s as well on my next track event and ran into the same kind of wear. I contacted Racing Brake directly and they said they are in the process of developing a compound similar to the Hawk HT-10s. They said that the pads were most likely overheated causing excessive wear. I didn't buy that excuse because I saw large amounts of brake dust the day before when I installed them and bedded them in at my house. I haven't received an update from Racing Brake about their new compounds since last summer. I have since been using Hawk HT-10s and they seem to wear normally although they are loud at the track and they really need to be kept hot to work properly.
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